Chevron Cowl: Creating Tunisian Stripes

Is it possible to be even more in love with the Chevron Cowl
by Sheryl Thies? I am fantasizing about wearing my cowl, and actually hoping
the cold weather holds on just a little longer so that I can try it out at
least once before next fall. Crazy I know!

Before I get into the stripes, let me share my top tip for this week. Maybe you can avoid my mistake!

When you set your cowl down, insert a removable stitch marker in your loop. Just trust me. I accidentally pulled part of a row out several times before I overcame my stubborn refusal to use this simple tool It is very difficult to pick up and fix a Tunisian crochet row that has been partially ripped. I would simply rip the rest of the row out, but each row is quite long. My stubbornness definitely cost me some time.

Now on to the stripes, which I have received several questions about. The wide chevron stripes in orange and brown have a fun
vintage feel, and the pattern is both easily memorized and addictive. The color
changes breaks up the crocheting as I can watch the growth of the cowl more
easily.

Each stripe is eight rows wide and measures two inches. This
means I should end up with seven stripes, beginning and ending with the orange.
I might shorten my cowl by one stripe; I do not have the long elegant neck I
wish I did.

When you are working stripes in Tunisian crochet, there are
a couple of things you need to decide. Do you want a clean division between
your colors or do you want a woven or blended affect? You can create different
colorwork patterns be changing colors on either the forward or return passes.

I chose a sharp division between colors, so I changed colors
on the forward pass. When you are doing this is it is important to remember to
work your actual color change on the last (yarn over and draw through two
loops) of the row. This will ensure that your beginning selvedge stitch is the
correct color.

For more information on changing colors in Tunisian crochet as well as how-to photographs, check out Sarah Read's blog, Keep Tunisian Stripes in Line.

Best wishes,

P.S. Did you modify the cowl in some way, an embellishment, different yarn weight, or unique colorwork? Share your unique modifications and any questions you might have in the comments below.